This invention relates to the irradiation vulcanization of vulcanizable rubbers utilizing polyhydrosulfides as cross-linking agents. More particularly, it relates to new and improved processes for the vulcanization of diolefin rubbers in the presence of polyhydrosulfides using high energy ionizing radiation. It relates also to the novel vulcanizable compositions and to the vulcanizates produced.
Efforts are continually being made to improve the properties of natural and synthetic rubbers. New rubbers are produced containing a variety of accelerators, antioxidants, vulcanizing agents and other additives. Attempts have been made to utilize high energy particle irradiation to improve the properties of various rubbers and other polymers both with and without additives. These attempts have not been successful because some rubbers degrade when subjected to irradiation and others, although somewhat improved in properties, require such a high dose to acquire even minimum beneficial results that the process is generally not economically attractive.